Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Polled Breeding Group plans

I am excited to use my F1 Jamie boy WhitePine Levi this fall on all the poll carrier and poll suspect ewes. Levi is a black krunet smooth polled ram out of Willocroft Jamie and River Oaks Lucy (Dillon and Holly lines). He is almost 64% UK, fine fleece, with good conformation and personality. Carries moorit and spots.

He will get:

FirthofFifth Koosi - F1 Jericho - gray katmoget. Koosi was bred to Heatheram Lightning last year and gave me a poll carrying ram lamb with long scurs. She is homozygous katmoget but carries moorit so could get either black or moorit based katmogets.

Justalit'l Black Lambo - (Holly and Timothy lines) - black ewe. Lambo has given her stamp to the breed with lots of descendants, and improvable fleece. She carries moorit and spots and has been bred in the past to Dillon, Orion and Jericho for AI. She has not dissappointed. Aa/Aa babies.

FirthofFifth Ashanti - moorit smirslet. She is a Forrest daughter out of Bramble ewe lines. This past fall I bred her to Orion and I got a gorgeous moorit krunet and a mioget. Both ewe lambs. I could get some pretty spotted babies (and Aa/Aa babies!)

OwlHill Miss Lilly - black ewe who carries spots. F1/F4 Holly F2 Orion. Lilly gave me a mioget smirslet ram lamb out of Orion this year. She is a proven poll carrier and I'm excited to see what Levi and her can produce. All Aa/Aa lambs.

WhitePine Bethany - F1 Orion fawn ewe. Bethany is Lambo's daughter and I'm eager to see what the Orion influence will do with Lambo's lineage. Again only Aa/Aa lambs.

FirthofFifth Blottir - gray katmoget. Another Forrest daughter who is half siblings with Barish and Booto on the dam's side. She may carry spots, modified and moorit but hard to say. Aa/Aa or Ab/Aa lambs.

FirthofFifth Kamacheriy - fawn katmoget. She really is my favorite ewe. Body capacity, structure, fleece. She was bred to Eprhaim this year and had a scurred ram lamb. She's a proven poll carrier and so Levi was an obvious choice. Another Forrest daughter out of Koosi, she also will be an exciting one to see bred to Levi.

FirthofFifth Agio - yuglet sokket black gulmoget. Sweet personality and dynamite fleece, this ewe really is perfection. Bred to Levi I can hardly wait to see what she has next spring.

I could put a lot of ewes with him just to improve conformational points, or fleece, but we'll use him just on poll carrier ewes this year and see what he produces. This last year he was used as a clean up ram and the lambs were structurally amazing, and most had wonderful fleeces.

Who we are

Ramsay Farms is situated in the northeastern part of Ottertail County, near Perham, Minnesota. This family farm of 320 acres has been in the Ramsay family for five generations, dating back to 1892. Today our farm prides itself on our Simmental cattle, Shetland Sheep and BlueFaced Leicester sheep. We strive to breed animals that closest match the breed standards given to them, and mindful of production, health and longevity in our animals as well.

In spring of 2016, there was a purchase of 32 acres in Green County, Wisconsin to accommodate Garrett for his work in that region. The animals have for the most part been moved to that location. Both locations will work in tandem to continue educating and promoting these animals and this way of life.

Tradtional 1927 Standard Shetland wool

Shetland Sheep Links

2015 pair

WhitePine Foley and daughter Frygg

From the Shetland Sheep Society

"Shetland sheep have for generations been noted for their very soft and well crimped fleece. The wool is the finest of all native breeds and shows an amazing variety of colours and patterns. There are 11 main whole colours and 30 recognised markings.

By selecting from coloured fleeces a range of naturally coloured yarn can be produced. This eliminates the need for dyeing and therefore retains the soft feel of the natural fibre and is favoured by those who prefer a totally natural approach.

Shetland wool fibres are of a simple construction witha central cortex covered by a thin scaly cuticle, and have an average diameter of about 23 microns. However there is a range from 10-20 microns for neck and shoulder wool to 25to 35 microns for britch wool. the average staple length is 3.5 inches. The amount of crimp varies, and is most important in providing the 'bounce' required for knitwear. There is a positive correlation between fineness and crimp, with wool of the finest quality being crimped at between 8 and 12 to the inch. Wool from shetland sheep is used to produce gossamer lace, the famous 'Fair Isle' knitwear, and fine tweeds. Pure bred Shetland sheep tend to shed their fleece in sprin. The growth of new fleece can cause a rise or weak point and where this is present the fleece can sometimes be plucked or 'rooed' by hand. The timing of this can be different in each sheep, however, it is worth taking the care to get it right as rooed fleece can be amongst the softest because the fibres have no harsh cut ends as occurs with a sheared fleece.

Shetland fleece can be handspun straight from the fleece or made into rolags and then woollen spun. It can also be sorsted spun by hand, used on a peg loom or handwoven. It also felts well using either dry or wet methods. When processed commercially the wool can be made into the finest lightweight worsted cloth or heavier weight, harder wearing fabrics and tweeds."

BlueFace Leicester

a beautiful typey ewe

Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. - Dennis Wholey